Nestled on a few acres down a winding road in Brush Prairie, Flat Tack Farm feels like the hug you didn’t know you needed. Inside warm greenhouse tunnels, surrounded by vibrant greens, rainbow carrots, and sprawling strawberry plant, farmers Kelly Peters and Patrick Dorris have created something special - a farm that feeds people’s bellies and their hearts.
Their journey began when a conversation about permaculture sparked a shared vision of self-sufficiency. What followed was years of traveling through New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and Australia, WWOOFing (working on organic farms in exchange for room and board) and learning from mentors who showed them that farming could be both sustainable and profitable.
When Sunny Parsons, owner of Heathen Brewing, shared that he had some land available for farming, Kelly and Patrick jumped at the chance to caretake Sunny’s land, and they’ve been cultivating nearly two acres of vegetables and creating a thriving food forest ever since. Permaculture (meaning “permanent agriculture”) guides their work. It prioritizes water management, companion planing, thoughtful design, and creating systems meant to last for many generations.
Their approach to farming reflects their backgrounds as artists; both studied art and bring an aesthetic sensibility to everything they grow. "We're sticklers for how things should appear because you eat not only with your mouth, but with your eyes," Patrick notes. This attention to beauty is evident in their rainbow of tomato varieties - blues, purples, yellows, oranges, and greens - far beyond the limited varieties you might find in a grocery store.
Flat Tack’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program connects customers directly with seasonal eating, while their farm stand welcomes visitors every Thursday. In addition, they host solstice potlucks, equinox farm-to-table dinners, and workshops ranging from garlic braiding to lavender wreath-making. Kelly and Patrick bring people to the farm year round to connect with where their food comes from… and, most importantly, to each other.
“That connection with people and their food - I feel like it's something that's been missing for quite a while,” Kelly reflects. “When you get to see [food] sprout from seed to fruit, and when you put in that hard work and that sweat equity, it tastes so much better.”
Kelly and Patrick are passionate about access, offering work exchanges for those who want fresh food but face financial constraints, and volunteer days bring families out to dig potatoes (it’s like digging for gold!) and more.
Besides at the farm stand, Flat Tack produce can be found at the Vancouver Farmers Market and in many restaurants and food trucks around Clark County. For Kelly and Patrick, farming isn't just about growing food, it's about cultivating community, beauty, and connection to the land that sustains us all.
